Drinking Water

Norman Baker: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what recent consideration the House authorities have given to providing filtered tap water as an alternative to bottled water in committee and meeting rooms; and what estimate has been made of the cost of providing  (a) tap and  (b) bottled water in these rooms in 2008-09.

Nick Harvey: The Administration Committee last considered the issue of the provision of drinking water in Committee and meeting rooms on 13 March 2007 and agreed to recommend that the current practice of supplying bottled mineral water to Committee rooms should continue. I understand that the Department of Facilities is re-examining the issue with the intention of providing further advice to the Administration Committee.
	When the Administration Committee considered the provision of drinking water in 2007 the estimated annual cost of providing tap water in Committee and meeting rooms was between £7,000 and £6,000 depending on how the service was delivered. Part of the re-examination being carried out by the Department of Facilities focuses on how this cost can be reduced. The projected approximate cost of providing bottled water in Committee Rooms in 2007-08 is £10,000. Costs for 2008-09 should be broadly similar if there is no change to the current practice. Water is not routinely provided for other meetings except when ordered and paid for as part of a catering service. Data on separate purchases is not held in a consolidated form.

Genito-Urinary Medicine: Waiting Lists

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of patients attending genito-urinary medicine clinics in  (a) St. Albans,  (b) Hertfordshire and  (c) England were offered an appointment to be seen within 48 hours in each of the last three months for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Information on the percentage of people offered an appointment to be seen within 48 hours at a genito-urinary medicine clinic, who were resident in the two Hertfordshire Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) in Hertfordshire, East and North Hertfordshire PCT, West Hertfordshire PCT (which includes St. Albans) and England for the three months November, December 2007 and January 2008, is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Percentage 
			  Month  England  East and North Hertfordshire  West Hertfordshire 
			 November 2007 91.6 93.2 92.9 
			 December 2007 92.0 87.6 81.4 
			 January 2008 96.1 96.9 93.2